The Working Mom: Life of a Bully Teacher Episode 10 Self-Care

This episode we talk about self-care and how to do small things to help you stay balanced during the holidays. This version is unedited and shares a lot of behind the scenes. To recap the lessons, here are the strategies to add some self-care to your life.

1. Get up an hour earlier than the rest of your tribe: You can journal, enjoy your coffee, think or organize your thoughts, or just be with yourself. I have found that getting up an hour earlier has helped me get more done with less time. My morning ritual is to get up, journal, attempt to meditate, get organized, and plan my day. Just that hour has me starting off on the right foot.

2. Give yourself a time out: When you are about to lose it, take a moment and announce that you are in a time out. No one is allowed to talk to you, text you, or bother you. I do this a lot when my family is just arguing or asking me a ton of questions. I put myself in a 5 minute time out. I usually go onto Instagram and scroll for that time, but I love it! The timer goes off and then I try to reset to continue on with my day. Sometimes on bad days, I take a 20 min time out, and I go into my room, get underneath the blankets, and have a good cry or a little nap. I just give myself space. Often as moms, we don’t realize that we get no alone time, and we often need it the most.

3. Download a good book or podcast to listen in your car: I love listening to Cathy Heller: Don’t quit your day job, Super Soul Conversations, or 5 Questions with Dan Schawbel. I have it set up so it plays automatically when I get in my car. It always rejuvenates me to listen to something I enjoy when I travel to and from my chaotic life.

4. Automate Your Life: Do what you can to make your busy life more sustainable. Can you order your groceries online? Can you get all your bills set up to autopay? Can you get stuff delivered monthly to save you time? I love to grocery shop, I love to browse the aisles and look at everything. The problem is I don’t have time, and I would rather be hanging out with my family, but I can’t be everywhere. So I use Amazon, Instacart, and Amazon Prime. I take a Sunday and plan my week out. If I have not gone shopping, then boom, it is a done automatic deal to get my groceries delivered. I typically have a basic list saved online and I review, order, and BOOM it’s done.

5. Take an hour for Yourself to Heal and Grow: I am a big fan of self-development. This year I committed to changing and overcoming what is holding me back. I am currently in therapy once a week. It is a thing I committed in doing to help me get unstuck. I am obsessed with Brené Brown, so I am copying her idea. It has been so powerful to see the small changes build up into big moments. It is a commitment, but it is an hour a week. I also do acupuncture a few times a month, I do business coaching once a month, and I see a spiritual healer to help me let go of what is not serving me. In total time spent on me a month is about 9 hours. I can at least give myself 9 hours of me time a month.